GS Warriors C Andrew Bogut wants to play this season, but ‘it’s not going to happen’

Newly acquired Warriors center Andrew Bogut ruled out a late-season return from a fractured left ankle and put into question his playing status for the 2012 Summer Olympics during a wide-ranging 1 ½-hour interview with The Chronicle on Thursday afternoon.

“At this point, I think it’s safe to say that returning this season is not going to happen,” Bogut said during lunch at a downtown Oakland café. “The most important thing is to get the bone right. If I come back at 99 percent, and the bone is unsettled, and something shards off, I’m in big trouble.

“It would be nice to play this season, but it’s not going to happen.”

That hasn’t stopped Bogut’s efforts. Wearing a protective boot, he shot free throws following Monday’s shootaround, and he spent Thursday morning doing the monotonous rehabilitation he’s been doing every day since the Jan. 25 injury.

Bogut’s rehab includes a warm-up on a stationary bike, a strength and conditioning program that focuses on his upper body while he’s in the boot, and continues with a strenuous bike ride that gets his heart rate up to 150-160. He sits in a cold tub, gets his ankle massaged and stretched and finishes with three ice baths from his hotel room.

One thing that might excite Warriors fans is that the team had to order a new stationary bike for Bogut, because the franchise hasn’t had a guy this big in decades. The 7-foot, 260-pounder joked that he looks like he’s trying to ride a child’s tricycle when he hits his knees on the current machines.

Doctors tell Bogut that his recovery is right on pace. He’s gotten rid of most of the swelling, which once made the gaps between his toes indistinguishable. There is still some swelling in the base of the foot, near the heel and Achilles.

He represented Australia in 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He’d love to do it again (July 28-Aug. 12), but he’s not sure it’s realistic.

“I wanted to play this (NBA) season, and following that up with missing the Olympics would be really tough,” Bogut said. “It’s one of the greatest things you can be involved with in our sport, but I’ve got to think about this franchise and what they’ve invested in me.

“I’ve got to treat the Olympics with the respect it deserves and be fair to the fans in Australia. But if I’m not 110 percent, I’m not going to play.”